Breaking Point

Gary, so good to see you back. I really like how the FG arrangement mimics the sun's rays. Fine processing as usual, and don't be a stranger here. We miss your work.

I hear ya with the crazy.  Glad you got to shoot some.  Looks like some haloing and other issues along the blend line with the sky.  Maybe too much clarity along edge or something.  Fixable :)  Great light and dig those rocks.  Makes me want to put a nude in there.

aF

Thanks Aaron for the comment.  I gotta say that this was a tough image.  The buttes are actually back-lit, hence the haloing.  This is a combo of sunstar and god rays.  Two different issues, with light behind and intense light in the fore. Compression also taking it's toll.  The master file looks pretty clean though.

Def a tough scene Gary.  I think it's the small black line running along the edge of the horizon.  Looks like a bunch of shadow recovery to the land, more apparent on the left 1/2 of the image.  These images are always super hard to process. 

That is one amazing sky with the rays and those drama laden clouds, Gary. The light spilling out across the landscape has created some lovely details and textures in the rocks; particularly those three in the FG. Glad to see you posting again as I have missed your images.

Ed

Welcome back, Gary. You were missed here for sure. The rocks are really interesting and would have made for a great image even without the dramatic sky. The shadows were handled really well as there is plenty of detail in them. It's unusual for the shadows to be more interesting than the sunlit areas but that is the case here. The darker shadow in the crack seems to be unnaturally darker than the other darker shadow. But it does offset the lighter shadow well. I do see the halo but I agree that the backlit sunlight is likely responsible for it. A fine dramatic and emotion packed image. 

Welcome back, Gary!  I was just thinking a few weeks ago that I had not seen any posts from you for a while.  I like the bold and dynamic light in ths image.  The foreground rocks effectively anchor the scene, add depth, and give a sense of place to the landscape.  Your processing looks great as well! 

Hi Gary, As usual nice b&w work! I like the comp you figured out here using the rocks and the light beams are such a great touch. Really nice seeing your work again. Cheers, Nick

Gary, excellent work with the near to far and also the B&W conversion overall. Love the rugged FG area here.....

Welcome back, Gary. I've missed your marvelous black and whites from Utah. This is a great one with lots going on. The comp is perfect, with the sun rays on the left and the peak on the right. Plus all the interesting angled rocks in the foreground. I like the textures and details in the foreground.

Just terrific light, rays, and clouds, Gary, and you made great use of it. Love the foreground rocks. Awesome image all around. 

You've caught the sky perfectly. I love the rays filtering through the distant clouds. There's a real feeling of depth within the scene. The way the light bounces off the foreground rocks really brings out the harshness and rigidity of their structure. It definitely benefits from being black and white. I agree about the haloing - doesn't detract much from the overall scene though.

Gary, the mix of strong crepuscular rays and near chimney butte along the horizon are very striking.  The details in the foreground rocks show very well in the larger version making an outstanding image.

Impressive, Gary. Great sky, great FG, great atmosphere. I love how the FG rocks point to all the action in the sky. Well done.

A lot going on to take in.  Those FG rocks rock.  Fantastic sky, busy but the elements work well together.  The left butte tops looks a little funky with the dark line, did read the above response to Aaron.  What a great view.

Good to see you again, my friend!  Sweet image. I really like the comp and the light. The comp is quite unique and engaging. I am looking at it on a laptop and not seeing any issues jumping out at me. Welcome back and a fine return it is.